Varsities engage cats to prevent Lassa fever:

 

Authorities of the various universities in the country have deployed various strategies, including the use of cats, in order to prevent an outbreak of Lassa fever on campuses, findings by our correspondents reveal.From the University of Benin, Edo State; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State; Enugu State University of Science and Technology to the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the race for hunting of rats has taken a new dimension.Before now, many, particularly animal scientists, did not bother about the danger of co-habiting with rodents, which they considered as part of the ecosystem. For the majority of the students also, provided these rodents did not eat their books and personal belongings, they could afford to allow them to exist on campuses. But this situation has changed. Both the students and the workers no longer see these common rodents as co-partners. In fact, while some of the institutions employ the conventional approach such as preaching the “gospel” of cleanliness, sensitising students and members of staff to the danger of co-habiting with rats, and fumigation, others use the unorthodox mechanism like purchasing of cats to “de-rat” their campuses. Even in some schools, students have thrown aboard the idea of indulging in their regular “drinking” of garri pastime.